HP 100 Memories
by Adanwen
Summary: Prompt 9: Harry cleans up Nr. 12, Grimmauld Place and finds something precious.


**Prompt 9 – Memories**

If you're looking for prompt 8, I'm sorry to disappoint you, because I never wrote it. Maybe I'll catch up on it but I can't promise. I was very busy at that time and didn't feel inspired. So have number 9 instead! I just couldn't get that scene with Regulus's Quidditch-photo out of my head – it seemed important to me but J.K. never brought it up again. Also, am I the only one to see the similarities between Regulus and Draco?

**9. Memories**

Harry couldn´t help it, he just had to sit down for a moment. The last hour he had been running upstairs and downstairs, carrying heavy boxes with all kinds of dusty oddments; sometimes briefly meeting Ginny on the stairs, as she sped past him with a grim look on her face. He knew that she was angry because he wouldn´t let her invite anyone else to help cleaning up nr. 12 Grimmauld Place. Why couldn´t she understand that this was something he needed to do alone? Every time he tried to explain, all she did was to mutter something about "survivor´s guilt" and "that damn hero complex". But even though she treated him like a five- year-old with bad mood swings, she still persisted on helping him. He had learned by now not to try stopping her.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he casually examined the almost empty room that had once belonged to Regulus Black. All that was left was a small bedside locker, a cupboard, which seemed to be inhabited by a boggart, and the chest with the Slytherin crest he was sitting on. His eyes landed on the framed photograph that showed the room´s former owner together with the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team. The memory of first discovering that picture and the secret of the locket was as clear in his mind as if it had been yesterday. And yet it felt as if a thousand years had passed at the same time. He didn´t know whether to be sad or happy.

_What on earth will I be doing with that?_ He wondered. _I can´t just throw it away, though Ginny certainly would tell me to...after all it was Sirius' brother. He died while trying to destroy a horcrux and no one even knows about that._

Just in that moment the solution to his problem walked past the open door. As struck by lightning, Harry grabbed the frame and rushed out of the room.

"Hey, Kreacher!"

The old house-elf turned around and stared at him with his usual look, which indicated that he was just plotting your murder. Harry had often wondered whether he had been born like this. However, despite his unfriendly face, Kreacher had changed much after the war. He worshipped Harry almost as much as Dobby had done (a fact which often brought tears to Harry´s eyes), treated Ron and Hermione like a king and queen and everyone else who was invited with much decorum. Eventually, Harry planned to free him (Hermione reminded him of this more often than was necessary) - he was sure he would get along very well, he already spent a lot of time in the kitchen at Hogwarts, when there was not enough to do for Harry and Ginny or simply to brag with his intense knowledge about the private life of The Boy Who Lived. But somehow he would have felt like cheating if he had sent Kreacher away before refurnishing the house completely. He rather wanted the elf to take part in the change instead of visiting one day and finding all possessions of his former masters in the dustbin...again. Even though he hated to admit it, Harry knew that this had been a crucial mistake of his godfather.

"Is master in need of Kreacher´s service?"

The distinct bullfrog voice brought him back to reality. "No thanks Kreacher, not at the moment...I was just wondering whether you´d like to keep this. It belonged to your old master Regulus, so..."

Harry trailed off when he saw the elf´s eyes filling with tears. He vividly remembered giving the fake locket to him and inwardly cursed himself. _At least there´s no flat-iron nearby... _

"Kreacher is not worthy of master´s generosity! He couldn´t bear to take another of master Regulus' belongings! Master must not ask Kreacher such things!"

"Umm, ok, Kreacher, that´s all right...I´m really sorry."

_Damn it. _He turned and walked back to Regulus' old room._ I guess I´ll just have to hide it in one of Uncle Vernon´s old socks forever. _

Sitting back down onto the chest, he studied the tiny faces on the picture. Regulus looked like a dwarf between all the big and sturdy boys. He could have been Sirius' twin, except that he didn´t look half as cheery - he also was much paler and had a slightly more slender jaw.

And then it hit him. He rushed back out of the room, nearly crashing with the doorframe. Kreacher´s head appeared around a corner.

"Is master all right?"

"Yes, I´m fine, I...listen, do you remember the time I asked you to tail Draco Malfoy?"

Accio reviews!:D


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